Resource Utilization and Energy Expenditure

Abstract

In general, most isopods are omnivorous, feeding on detritus (Gere 1956), fungi, live or dead plants or animals (Paris and Sikora 1967; Edney et al. 1974; Nair 1976a), as well as their own faecal pellets (Paris 1963; Hassall and Rushton 1982). Thus, Metoponorthus pruinosus is omnivorous in the wild, feeding on decomposing litter, and is occasionally cannibalistic (Nair et al. 1989). The gut of Ligidium hypnorum contained 23% plant material, 27% fungal material and 38% detritus (Struve-Kusenberg 1989). Feeding on decomposed leaves is made possible by bacteria in both the gut and hepatopancreas of the isopod (studies on Oniscus asellus, Griffith and Wood 1985; Wood and Griffith 1988). Protracheoniscus amoenus is of major importance as a decomposer in the forests of Hungary (Pobozsny 1978). The subject of feeding behaviour has been reviewed by Hassall and Rushton (1984).